Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-07-28
DAILY HERALD.
THE GRAND JURY.
Its Report to the Superior
Court.
AUDITOR MONTANO'S METHODS.
The Police Department Scored.
Sheriff Kay's Books Found
Absolutely Correct.


Absolutely Correct.
Hon. W. A. Cheney, Judge of the Su-
perior Court, Department No. 1, Of
Los angeles County, State Of Cali
fornid,
SIs:-The Grand Jury called by
your order, July 11th, 1887, have
carefully listened to your charge and
after due and careful investigation and
with malice toward none have seen
the path of their plain duty before
them and entered upon it with delib-
GRAFTON and pursued it without passion
and without faltering. Forseeing how
much unfitness must be exposed, they
drew the lines with care and have en-
deavored not to overstep them in any
case or under any provocation. Such
of any mans acts concerning his fit
ness for public trust are only alluded
to in our annexed report which We
hereby submit-accounta in all
things is the true basis on which to
perform public service. We insist
that the same degree OF care is requi-
site in the performance of public duties
as in private. When public officers
assume that there is no one in par
ticular to whom they are responsible,
that neglect and carelessness will be
overlooked and that if they commit no
glaring criminal act they will not be
called to account, the public service
is sure to become demoralized, while
on the contrary the knowledge that
every civil officer from the highest to
the lowest will be held to the strictest
responsibility for all his official acts
tends to secure the highest efficiency
and faithfulness. There is room for
much Improvement in this respect in
the American civil service system to
effect which further legislation is
needed.
The County Jail was examined and
found to be admirably fitted for the
purpose it is used, except in one or
two particulars, which we presume
will be promptly remedied by the
proper authorities, whose attention We
called to the matter. We would call
special attention to the point suggested
by the accompanying report of the
Jail Committee, that juvenile offenders
should be separated from hardened
criminals. We call attention to the
great number of persons charged with
disturbance of the peace which are
plain drunks and vagrants who ought
to be set to work. 1t is alleged that
they are booked for this offense in
order that Justices and Constables
may increase their bills against the
county.
City Jail-This building is poorly
constructed and is no credit to the
city. One of the walls is cracked from
top to bottom. The dark cells, for
lack of ventilation and light, would
better befit a bastile OF the eighteenth
century than person of a humane
community of the nineteenth.
COURTHOUSE.
In regard to the safety of the public
records, to which Your Honor called
our attention, we would earnestly urge
that the cellar under the present Court
house be Immediately made thorough
ly fire-proof, as it can be at moderate
expense; that broad stairway to it
from the Recorders or Clerks offices
be constructed, and that the records
and muniments Of title of the realty of
the county, in value almost incalcula-
bile, be placed therein and kept there
till they can safely be removed to the
new hall of records yet to be built.
We would call your attention to the
law passed by the last Legislature,
providing for the appointment of
commission to see to the expenditure
of moneys raised by public bonds.
PUBLIC HIGHWAYS.
We received several complaints, and
investigated them fully, and found
large sums of money are annually ex-
pended; that the Supervisors are the
Road Commissioners that road mas
ters ought to report to them, etc. In
fact the laws governing roads seem to
have been almost entirely ignored.
The money in some road districts is
especially on the one where the road
master generally traveles, to the en-
tire neglect of all other roads. Bridges
have been neglected, even the city
authorities have neglected the APP
proaches to the County Road, on Pico,
Ninth and Temple streets.
COUNTY HOSPITAL.
We examined the building and
grounds, and found everything right
except in the old building, which we
recommend should receive coat of
whitewash, as it will be a specific
help for the determination OF vermin.
The sewer facilities in the hospital
are simply abominable. The cess
pool is full and running over. We
deem it prudent to recommend the re-
moval of the kitchen from the present
location, and put the same above
ground. The charges made by some
people have been carefully examined,
but the parties are not indicted for
want of corroborating testimony. We
would suggest few changes in the
management. 1st /: The physician
should be ex-officio Superintendent.
and have control over subordinates, 80
that in case prescriptions are not duly
filled or his orders are disobeyed he
may discharge parties guilty of those
faults at. once, as human life should
not be trifled with, even in charitable
institutions.
Second-The mode of leaving the
female department during the night
in charge of male, is, to say the
least, offensive to decency.
Third-There should be reduction
in the amount of wines and liquors
used there, and certainly decency re-
uuires the exclusion of all drunken
people from the hospital grounds.
Fourth-The chairman OF the Hos
pital Committee ought to visit the hos
pital at least every week and converse
with the patients and inquire OF them